1. Field
This disclosure relates to a positive electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery, a method of preparing the same, and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Lithium rechargeable batteries have recently drawn attention as a power source for a small portable electronic device. They use an organic electrolyte solution and thereby have twice the discharge voltage of a conventional battery using an alkali aqueous solution and as a result, have high energy density.
This rechargeable lithium battery is used by injecting an electrolyte into a battery cell including a positive electrode including a positive active material that can intercalate and deintercalate lithium and a negative electrode including a negative active material that can intercalate and deintercalate lithium.
Considering recently increasing demand of a battery for a car such as an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and the like, there is increasing interest in more stable LiFePO4 with excellent stability compared with other positive active materials.
Furthermore, since the LiFePO4 has excellent cycle-life characteristic and simultaneously, costs low by using an inexpensive material, it may be usefully applied to prepare a positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery for an energy storage system (ESS). However, the LiFePO4 on the surface of a secondary particle may relatively well participate in the charge and discharge due to low electric conductivity, while the LiFePO4 inside the secondary particle may not participate in the charge and discharge well.